That’s why ACA, the ASPCA and other organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS), advocate trap-neuter-return (TNR),
in which the animals are safely captured, sterilized
and vaccinated, then returned to their colony. This
stops breeding and limits the spread of diseases such
as rabies—crucial for all cats, says Slater, since
unneutered indoor pets may be allowed to roam.

TNR is also better for the cats: “It stabilizes the
colony and they’re not reproducing, so their health
improves,” Robinson concurs. And while kittens and
a few adult felines may be socialized and brought
inside, most cannot be. “Their home is outside,”
Robinson adds.

That’s what bothers some who, although they
may tolerate or even like animals, don’t want them

ACCORDING TO MANY, we have a cat problem
in the U.S. With population estimates in the tens of
millions, ferals—felines who live their entire lives
outdoors with little or no human contact—are
everywhere. Which means that no matter where
you live or work, chances are there’s a colony nearby.

“People feed the cats, but then they call theirlocal shelter for help, and the shelter doesn’t knowwhat to do except tell them to get a trap and bringthem in,” says Costco member Becky Robinson,president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies (ACA).Once at a shelter, though, the cats are “not going toget adopted,” Robinson continues. “Seventy percentof all cats taken to shelters are killed, and when itcomes to feral cats, virtually 100 percent are.”It’s not only an unpleasant way of dealing withthem, but an ineffective one: “Euthanasia as amethod of population control isn’t cheap, easy orquick,” notes Costco memberDr. Margaret Slater, seniordirector of veterinary epidemi-ology for the American Societyfor the Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals (ASPCA). Robinsoncites the case of a largeMidwestern county that spent$185 per cat to eradicate ferals,numbering into the tens ofthousands of dollars annually.“We’re talking about a massiveproduction line that ends thelives of healthy animals, that’scruel and inhumane and a totalfailure, [because] there aremore cats than ever,” she says.

Trap-neuter-return programs have
proven to be an effective approach
to dealing with feral cats.